How KJT became a two-time heptathlon World Champion

Athletics 19 Dec 23

Big life decisions, improved throws and a whole lot of heart were the keys to Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s 2023 comeback.

This summer, Johnson-Thompson finally overcame her mountain range of injury and struggle to clinch a second heptathlon world title four years after her first.

And the journey to glorious gold in Budapest is only further evidence of her incredible determination and perseverance on the road to a fourth Olympic Games in 2024.

Injury and struggle

An achilles rupture that first rumbled into view in late 2020 threatened to destroy the house Johnson-Thompson had built following her maiden world title in 2019, and would lead her to leave the Tokyo Olympic track in a wheelchair.

She spent two years struggling through injuries and chasing the next competition, a cycle which reached its nadir in her view with eighth place at the 2022 World Championships.

“In Eugene, it was such a horrible experience to be in the competition but not competing for the medals,” says Johnson-Thompson. “All I ever wanted was a chance at gold.”

Coaching change

The first key decision was to split with Florida-based coach Petros Kyprianou and return to the UK.

She started to work with Aston Moore at Loughborough in a group alongside European indoor long jump champion Jazmin Sawyers and Paralympian Zak Skinner.

“She was literally competing on empty,” said Moore. “All she was doing was taking stuff out of the tank. It was clear that she needed a lot of fitness work - she just needed to get fit again.”

“When you’ve got to the level she got and then you find yourself not in the fight, it’s not a good place to be. For her, there were some questions in her mind as to whether she could get back to where she was.

“Not a lot of people get back to the top of the tree when you do a tendon injury. For her to come back from that, it’s one of the wonders of the world.”

Throwing forward

Johnson-Thompson didn’t exactly get off to a flying start in Budapest.

An hour’s rain delay interrupted her warm-up and she struggled in the 100m hurdles opener before twice bringing down the high jump bar at 1.80m, a height that has typically posed few problems for her.

“It was a bit of a weird start,” she said. “My first two events were identical to Eugene and I could easily have spiralled. At that point, it’s not about comparing myself to my old self but just being in the competition.”

Moore is a jumps coach by trade but Johnson-Thompson’s renewed dependability in the throws helped her turn the tide.

Having set a new shot put personal best in Gotzis in May, she registered the third-best effort of her life with 13.64m to maintain momentum and a punchy 200m gave her the overnight initiative.

A 6.54m long jump was the first time she hit top of the standings but the 46.14m javelin personal best was the key moment, a clutch performance that gave her the initiative heading into the closing 800m.

“I enjoyed every minute of it,” she said. “It was the best Championships since (London) 2017 in terms of the track, the crowd, the atmosphere.”

Kat with nine lives

Johnson-Thompson came into the 800m with a 43-point lead on standout American Anna Hall, whose 2:02 personal best in the event loomed over the field.

Hall, carrying a quad injury and strapped up for much of the competition, streaked into the lead in the knowledge she’d have to beat Johnson-Thompson by around three seconds to overhaul the points differential.

Hall was in gold medal position until 200m from the finish when the British star really began to reel her in and Johnson-Thompson surged to a brilliant personal best run of 2:05.63 to clinch gold by 20 points.

The final tally of 6740 points was her best since Doha and third-best of all time, becoming the second British athlete after Jessica Ennis-Hill to win multiple world heptathlon titles.

“I have been thinking about this for months and months and nobody else could see the vision apart from me and my team,” said the 30-year-old.

“I'm just so happy that it's come true. It's a dream come true to do it again.”

Paris motivation

Johnson-Thompson is a three-time Olympian but yet to find her best on that stage, with sixth place at Rio 2016 standing as her best finish.

She came 14th as a teenager at London 2012 and famously failed to finish in Tokyo.

The 30-year-old makes no secret of her burning desire to get an Olympic medal. With reigning Olympic and 2022 world champion Nafi Thiam and Adrianna Sulek to come back into the mix, we're set for quite a heptathlon at Paris 2024.

"This has given me so much confidence going forward into next year," she said. "Hopefully it will be more of the same then."

Sportsbeat 2023

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